20 Cowboy Books for Little Learners

Teaching this cowboy unit is such a fun one for little learners! There’s so many ways to explore this unit and watch little minds be amazed as they learn all about being a cowboy. It’s so much fun to watch as they read through cowboy books related to this unit, too.

Finding cowboy books to read with them is a great addition to the cowboy unit and they get to learn all kinds of things about being a cowboy!

Reading cowboy books with little learners is important as they go through this cowboy unit. They’ll discover all kinds of things about being a cowboy – some things they might recognize, while others will be totally new to them.

I’ve found some really fun cowboy books for you to use with this unit that can easily be purchased on Amazon. Just click the links below and stock up on some of your favorite cowboy books! I love using my prime membership to get them sent to me with FREE 2-day shipping.

Cowboy Small takes good care of his horse, Cactus. In return, Cactus helps Cowboy Small get work done on the range. Together they round up cattle for branding and live the good life. At night, Cowboy Small eats at the chuck wagon, sings with his friends, and sleeps under the stars.

“L is for lariat or lasso, a loop of rope coiled just so. Swing it wide or swing it low. Hook those horns and yell whoa!” Hold on to your hat and strap on your spurs! Cowpokes and buckaroos of all ages will enjoy this A-Z gallop through the facts, feats, and folks of the cowboy way of life. Even greenhorns are invited to ride this fun-filled range!

When Bo spots what he thinks is a “rip-roarin’, rootin’-tootin’, shiny red armadillo,” he knows what he has to do. Follow that armadillo! Bo leaves his mother and three brothers behind and takes off for a two-stepping, bronco-bucking adventure. Jan Brett turns her considerable talents toward the Texas countryside in this amusing story of an armadillo on his own.

In words and pictures, this book captures all the excitement and adventure of the Wild West. Gibbons’s colorful watercolors deftly recreate cowboys clothing, equipment, and lifestyle, and the lively text includes descriptions of famous cowboys and cowgirls, as well as historical facts. Full color.

Good Night Cowboys explores riding horses, roping steer, working on the ranch, rodeos, lassos, cowboy chow, ghost towns, driving cattle, cowboy clothing, square dancing, cowboy songs, and panning for gold. Well, howdy little buckaroos. It’s time saddle up and hit the dusty trail with some of the friendliest cowboys in all of the Wild West. Yeehaw!

The I Want to Be… series gives young children a realistic insight into the working day of adults. Easy-to-read captions and color photographs of women and men from different cultures help children understand what’s involved in each occupation. Young readers learn to respect the importance of doing a job well and appreciate the contributions these workers make to our life and the world around us.

Cowboy Kid loves Texas Ted, Denver Dog, and Hank the Horse with all his heart. Yes sirree! Before Sheriff Pa tucks him in, Cowboy Kid gives each toy a great big hug and a sleep-tight kiss. Now he’s ready for bed. Or is he? Nosirree! Cowboy Kid reckons his friends might fancy just one more kiss, or a special blanket to keep them warm, or . . . one more kiss. Making sure everyone gets their fill of affection tuckers him out, but Cowboy Kid can’t seem to round up any shut-eye, not until Sheriff Pa gathers him up in his arms with a wonderful secret.

Cowboys aren’t necessarily boys, and they aren’t necessarily grown-ups, either. In this lively photo essay, young readers will meet girls and boys who live a unique way of life on their families’ cattle ranches. Cowgirls and cowboys take part in many aspects of livestock operations, from calving and branding to haying and rounding up the herd. With a colorful and informative text, illustrated with action-packed photographs, Cat Urbigkit’s book follows cattle kids through a year of ranching on the western range.

Sock Monkey, the famous toy actor, can hardly believe his ears. He’s landed the starring role in a singing cowboy movie! Now he’ll get to yodel, ride a horse, lasso a cow, and — yikes! — kiss the leading lady. Sock Monkey doesn’t want to kiss anyone! But it’s the role of a lifetime, so the woolen thespian corrals all his friends to help him prepare. Can he resist the urge to ride into the sunset when the big moment comes? In a brilliant performance of (inadvertent) bravery in the face of panic, Sock Monkey is back — to do his fans proud.

They call him the Cowboy Kid, the strange boy who lassoes trash cans and whinnies like a horse. He dreams of escaping the city, of riding away on a golden steed of his own. And then, one wonderful night, the Cowboy Kid’s dreams come true. A magnificent stallion carries him to the heavens on a magical ride. Soon they are joined by other horses, leaping from paintings, jumping down from stone pedestals in parks, and breaking free of merry-go-rounds – and they lead a riotous stampede of marble, wood, and paint through the streets of the town and beyond. A beautiful book about freedom and the urge to break away for the child in everyone.

Nellie Sue is back and she’s taking her cowgirl flair to the county fair. There are games to play, animals to pet, and rides to go on. But of course, Nellie Sue is really looking forward to the Bike Rodeo. She hopes that practicing will make her and her two-wheeled horse good enough to win against the reigning champion and her friend, A. J. Pickett. When a nearby goat gets loose and threatens to ruin A.J.’s ride, Nellie Sue knows that it’s her job as an honest cowgirl to step in–even if it means coming in second place.

Life on the ranch means lots of time outside, either helping out with the cattle or tossing around a ball with the family. From football to soccer to basketball, Charlie’s ready to jump into the game and take his team to victory. But Charlie’s favorite part of sports comes after the winning goal when everyone breaks for a postgame meal. He may be more of a benchwarmer when it comes to athletics, but Charlie will always be the MVP of dinnertime!

When Widow Tulip Jones of Bore, England, inherits a ranch in By-Golly Gully, Texas, and moves in with two trunks of tea, twelve pet tortoises, and three servants, hilarity ensues. The peaceful life suits the wealthy widow fine until word gets out and every unmarried man in Texas lines up to marry her. Widow Tulip and her small staff of three can’t possibly run the farm and manage all the suitors, so she devises a plan—and it just might work. This story filled with giant tortoises, 1,000 brides, bad guys, a smart widow, and even a little romance is sure to get kids laughing.

There’s a new horse on the farm! He was just born yesterday, but he already weighs 100 pounds and can stand all by himself. Kids will love following this little colt through his first two years of life in this very young nonfiction Pictureback that’s simple and fun enough to be read as a story. Young horse enthusiasts will especially appreciate the horse vocabulary and care information.

Ben is a country kid. He lives on a quiet farm, where he wakes to the peaceful sounds of cows mooing and birds chirping. Jody is a city kid. She lives in an apartment building, where her mornings begin with honking horns and wailing sirens. Their lives are nothing alike–or are they?

Exploring this cowboy unit is so much fun for little learners as they learn all about the exciting life of a being a cowboy! It’s fun to watch them learn, grow, and explore through this unit as they learn new things. Grab some exciting new cowboy books along with this cowboy unit and explore all about being a cowboy.